Texas Wines

This is a quote from Ohiodawg13:

"In all my wine swillin' days I have never tasted a Texas bottle. Do they export much of it? You mentioned Becker Vineyards, I'll see if it's available out here on the Left Coast. Got any others you'd recommend? Where do they grow, around Austin in the hill country? You know we're pretty spoiled out here, but I'm always open for new vintnological experience."

So I decided I needed to answer his question about Texas wine. So here is a short synopsis and just my opinion. I always stress that wine is subjective and even Joe told me that too...so it must be true! 

There are over 200 wineries and Texas is the 5th largest producer but we consume most of what we make.Because of this wineries have to "import" grapes from elsewhere to meet the demand. I think it would be rare to actually find TX wine outside the state (if anyone finds some please let me know).
Texas gets a bad reputation because I think our wine industry is fairly young even though the first winery was established in 1883 and grape growers like winemakers think they can grow/do whatever grape/wine they want...it's like herding cats! There is one winery that did "lime wine". I would rather have a margarita.

So here is the low-down on some of my favorites and please note that these wines are made with TX grapes only.

In the High Plains(also known as South Plains) area close to Lubbock and the New Mexico border: Llano Estacado Winery - Their Chenin Blanc is lovely, light with a fruit forward taste of pear & apple but has bit of acidity to give it a crisp quality. I always have this on hand because I found that it pleases a lot of palates.
Another winery in this area is McPherson. The Sangiovese is some of the best I have had and it went up against Old World Italy and was a favorite. The taste was light earth, black cherry, toast.

In the Hill Country(Austin/San Antonio area): Becker Vineyards - Their Viognier is peach, apricot and a little spicy. It is a lighter version of some of the California ones, but I think it pairs better with food because it doesn't coat your tongue. I also like the Cabernet Sauvignon. Again it might be a little lighter in cherry, cedar and chocolate (and tannins) than California, but I still think it is worth a try. 
Another Hill Country fave of mine: Duchman Family Winery. They are doing wonderful wines with Italian grapes. Their Vermentino is grown in the High Plains. If you are looking for an alternative to Sauvignon Blanc, this is your wine.

Around my area of Dallas, I have 3 faves: Inwood Estates - the Tempranillo is like a "bar-b-que" in a glass. The grapes are grown in the High Plains. The other 2 wineries (that I actually work for) are: Calais Winery, owned by Benjamin Calais, from Calais,France;we had (we are out, wait til next year)a Tempranillo grown in the High Plains that tasted of black fruit, earth, smoke, vanilla. The other winery the Times Ten. They have a vineyard in Alpine (in the area of Big Bend National Park). Their Cathedral Mountain wine is a blend of Tempranillo,Syrah,Cabernet Sauvignon,Cabernet Franc. The taste is gravel,smoke, bing cherry, vanilla, dark spices. There is a lot going on with this wine.
So there you have it! If anyone has questions, please contact me or you can go to my so called "blog".
Cheers Y'all!
Lori